By The Hockey Paper
A Scottish masters player has been hailed an inspirational figure after returning to the sport which helped her to then lose five-and-a-half stone in weight.
Alana Willox, a 40-year-old, played hockey in her youth and early 20s before becoming a mother of four.
Willox, from Fraserburgh in Scotland, returned to hockey in her late thirties and dropped from 14.9 stone to nine.
“I had my first son when I was 24 and had three more soon after at 26, 29 and 31,” the primary school teacher told the Evening Express.
“I truly thought that I would never play hockey again.”
A chance encounter with a former team-mate saw her start playing again, while her first tournament saw her fail to fit into her former vests.
“It was a real wake up call. I feel amazing – there are no words,” added Willox, who trains at Merlins Gordonians HC.
Willox was called up for Scotland’s over-40s for the Masters World Cup in Spain during the summer.
“I never thought I would achieve playing at this level – we travel the world with that team,” she told the paper.
“It makes me feel like there is still room to progress and get better.
